


Koala-beared

by amtrak12



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:40:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amtrak12/pseuds/amtrak12
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Holtzmann looks more shaken now than she did before the ghost was busted and Patty is worried.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Koala-beared

Well, that had been chaos. Patty surveyed the lingering mess around them. The ectoplasm had all been sucked back into whatever plane it'd come from, but the chairs that had been lobbed earlier like grenades were still busted and the scorch marks from the proton packs still dotted the ceiling. Oh their client was going to be pissed. This wasn't exactly an historical building, but tearing up the dining room of a four star hotel was still pretty bad.

Of course, the client should have considered possible damages before purchasing a baby grand piano that was rumored to be haunted. Never underestimate a haunting rumor. Didn't this city learn anything from that near-apocalypse?

Patty checked for the rest of her teammates. Abby was still on the floor from where the ghost had tossed her, but she was at least sitting up now. She had a hand held up to her forehead that made Patty wonder if she'd bumped it. Erin was already over there checking her out though so Patty moved her gaze over to Holtz.

Holtzmann stood rooted to the same spot she'd been in during the fight. She hadn't moved even to go retrieve the trap. Patty could see the thing smoking between dining tables about ten feet away. Did someone need to go hit some buttons or something to make sure the ghost didn't spring back out of it? She hadn't quite picked up on how all this equipment worked, and it's not like anyone could sit still long enough to write out a damn manual.

Holtzmann hadn't put her proton wand back in its sheath either. She was just standing there, staring vaguely off in Abby and Erin's direction.

"Holtzy," Patty said. "Holtzy, do we need to grab the trap?"

Abby definitely had a cut on her forehead. A little blood came away with her hand when she moved it down. Patty winced in sympathy, and then stepped closer to Holtzmann to tap on her shoulder.

"Holtzmann."

The only response she got was a sharp inhale and Holtzmann clenching and re-clenching her fists.

"Hey, you alright?" Patty asked. "Did you get hurt?"

Holtzmann let out a unique blend of a grunt and a groan that Patty had only ever heard from her. It meant Holtz was struggling with some pretty heavy emotions, which also explained the continuous fist clenching. The problem was Patty couldn't figure out what was bothering her.

"Hey," she tried again.

"Need to... more power next time," Holtzmann muttered. "Need to, more.... fix the calibration. I'll do it better. Can't--" She cut herself off and shoved her hands into the flop of hair she had hanging free on top of her head. Her fingers dug into the strands, probably messing up whatever ties or bobby pins kept her hair styled like that, and let out a new groan that sounded mixed with a whine this time.

"Baby, what are you talking about?" Patty said. "What you need to calibrate? Everything worked fine."

Holtzmann frantically shook her head, eyes still not looking at Patty. "The ghost grabbed it. Abby got hurt."

Okay. Okay now Patty was starting to get it. When they'd finally cornered the ghost, they'd all shot their proton beams at it and successfully lassoed the creature. Then this ghost got riled up and somehow latched onto a proton beam with its own hands and shook it like a whip to yank Abby off her feet. She'd hit a dining room table hard, and her beam had gone out. Thankfully, the ghost had lost strength after that, and the other three had easily dragged it over to the trap.

But now Holtzmann was shaking, physically shaking, and looking completely distraught even though the ghost was long gone.

"Holtzy, it's okay. Abby's fine." Patty pointed over to Abby who was dabbing at her cut with the nearest tablecloth and chatting happily about something to Erin. Probably already theorizing about how the ghost had grabbed the proton beam. "Look, they're all good."

Holtzmann shook her head again. Her knuckles were so white against her hair, Patty feared she'd start ripping strands out.

"Hey. Holtz. Holtzy-baby, it's okay." Patty tugged Holtzmann around and gripped her shoulders to make her look up at her. Very firmly she said, "It's okay."

"The equipment failed. I got Abby hurt."

"No, you didn't," Patty said. "The ghost did that, but we got him locked up now. Abby's fine."

Holtzmann held her stare, wide-eyed, for another second and then crumpled forward. Her face went right into Patty's chest and her arms slipped around to fit between the proton pack and Patty's waist. Surprised, Patty awkwardly let arms rest against Holtzmann's pack. It wasn't exactly easy to hug in all this get-up. The equipment was clunky, and Holtzmann's arms was causing the pack to pull at Patty's shoulders in a really painful way. Still, this reaction from Holtzmann was unusual enough that Patty wasn't going to say anything.

"Abby's okay," she repeated. "Not your fault we found a devil ghost. I blame that Mr. Strahan. Who buys a piano that's been known to kill people?"

Holtzmann took a shuddering breath. Patty moved one of her hands up to rub at the bit of Holtzmann's back she could reach without the proton pack getting in the way.

"It's okay."

"My face is in your boobs," Holtzmann said, definitely sounding muffled.

Patty rolled her eyes. "Well, you were the one who put it there. Unless that was your goal all along."

"It's not very optimal for hugging."

"Neither's all this heavy equipment to tell the truth," Patty said, but Holtzmann was already pulling away. Patty had half a second to feel relieved that the pulling on her shoulders was gone before she was hit with the full weight of Holtzmann launching herself at her.

"Oof." Patty stumbled back a couple paces until her proton pack collided with the wall. It stabilized them enough for Patty to get her feet back under her. Holtzmann's legs wrapped awkwardly around her waist, while her arms went around her neck and her face tucked into the skin just above the collar of the jumpsuit. Patty's hands landed on Holtzmann's thighs. She hefted her up to get a better grip.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"It's a more optimal hug."

Holtzmann's breath was hot against her neck, and their skin already felt like it was sticking together. Patty figured they must have still been sweaty from the ghost chasing.

"Abby getting thrown down like that really freaked you out, huh?" she asked. Holtzmann snorted like she was trying to dismiss the idea, but Patty felt her fingers dig into the fabric of her coveralls. "Everything's alright though. Look, she's already walking over here."

Holtzmann didn't lift her head up to look, but Abby and Erin were indeed walking over to them. Erin stared at how Patty was holding Holtzmann like they were a puzzle to figure out. Abby looked completely unfazed.

"She koala-beared you, huh?" Abby said.

"Koala-beared?" Patty said. "Is that what you call it?"

Erin set a chair back up on its legs while Abby just wove between the clutter.

"Yeah, she does it sometimes when a problem's being too frustrating. She says it helps her think." Abby reached Patty's side and leaned up to pat Holtzmann's shoulder. "What's wrong, Holtz? Pack getting too heavy?"

"Yes," Patty answered instead. Now that it'd been mentioned, the packs were definitely too heavy -- and she was somehow carrying two of them now.

Holtz only responded with a low hum that Patty felt run all the way down her spine.

"I got this," Abby said, standing on tip toes to grab the top of Holtzmann's proton pack. "Holtz, let go? Erin?"

"Yep."

Together, Erin and Abby got Holtzmann's pack off of her, and Patty's load got a lot lighter.

"Let's go," Abby said.

"Hey, you think you could get mine--" But Abby and Erin were already heading for the dining room door. Eh, at least Holtzmann didn't weigh as much as a proton pack. In fact, she didn't seem to weigh much at all. They were going to have to make sure the girl ate better.

Holtzmann had kept her balance during the entire pack removal, and she continued to not slip as Patty began to follow the others out.

"You know you do make an impressive koala." Patty leaned her head away to see Holtzmann's face. Holtz had her eyes closed, but she still quirked her lips into a small smile.

"You sure Abby's okay?" she murmured.

Patty glanced up to where Erin was poking at Abby's cut. Abby batted Erin's hands away and then used a terrible British accent to crack a joke about flesh wounds.

"Well, she's making references to Monty Python," Patty said. "But otherwise, she's just fine."

Holtzmann released a sigh that curled hotly around Patty's neck. "Good."

They reached the hotel's lobby where several guests stared at the entourage of rumpled jumpsuits, glowing equipment, and smoking ghost trap. Patty guessed they were all from out of state and ignored them.

Holtzmann hummed again. "This is comfortable. I think I'll let you carry me everywhere now."

"I think you won't," Patty said. "You can carry your own self most of the time."

She realized her mistake when she felt Holtz grin against her skin. "So you'll carry me some of the time?"

The way she shifted when she spoke made Patty very aware of just where Holtzmann's lips were on her neck. Patty hoped Holtz couldn't detect the way her heart rate picked up.

"Yeah, I guess I can carry you some of the time. Like when you're injured. Or when you essentially jump me and don't give me a choice."

Patty could have sworn for a second that Holtzmann placed a soft kiss on the spot beneath her collar -- but then the sensation was chased away by a firm tongue licking a line right up to her ear.

"Thanks, Patty." Holtzmann slipped free of her arms and shot a couple finger guns. Then, she darted outside after Abby and Erin.

Something in Patty's brain shut down when Holtzmann licked her, and she found herself frozen in place staring at the glass doors. That hadn't been a cute and sexy lick, it had been weird and awkward. It was kind of gross getting licked when a person wasn't expecting it. But still her throat was dry and her heart was stuttering and her brain would not restart.

Holtzmann had licked her.

And before that she had kissed her. Patty knew she had kissed her. The girl could play it off however she wanted, but Patty had felt that. It was a kiss.

She watched through the glass as the others loaded up the car. Holtzmann tossed her arms up in the air about something and grinned real big. Patty let out a slow exhale through pursed lips.

"That girl's got me in trouble," she muttered to herself. "Mmhm, big trouble."

Then, she cleared her throat and walked outside.


End file.
